The Evil Wish
by BarbMacK
Summary: An old enemy offers the Doctor a wish he can't refuse...okay shocking summary but that about covers it really...
1. The Wish

**Hey guys. Yeah I know I've got a few other fics already on the go BUT this one is all written up so won't take away any writing time from them and should hopefully be updating them in next couple of days before following Beck's example of weekly updating, to whom I also owe thanks for reading all my fics before I post 'em and boosting my confidence, greatly appreciated chickadee :) If you like a place for this to be, it would be just after Blink, after another adventure they've been through off-screen...Anyway, without further adieu, hope you enjoy it :)**

**RDRDR**

The Doctor glared at the blonde before him. "I don't know how you managed to escape again, but that is it! I'm sick of having to save the world from Carrionite invasions, and since you seem to be the main instigator, I believe your name should take all your powers," he glared at her, his eyes burning with rage.

Martha stood behind him. She remembered the witch from her very first adventure with the Doctor and had never expected to see her again, let alone back in modern day Earth having wiped out a small town in preparation of her families return. She'd seen the Doctor angry before, more times then she'd like, but this was extreme even for him.

The woman just glared at him. "Haven't you noticed the time we're in _Doctor_," she spat. "Names don't mean as much as they once did."

The Doctor just raised a brow. "Really? Well I guess that's lucky for you then isn't it Lil---"

His voice was cut off as she slapped her hand over his mouth. "Alright, alright. How about...we make a deal?" There was some mumbling from under her hand, and she reluctantly removed it, raising her brows for him to repeat what he'd said.

"There's nothing you have that I want," the Doctor told her softly, "And you've already wasted your one chance Li---"

She slapped her hand back over his mouth. "Stop with the name calling!" she exclaimed, staring deep into his eyes despite him glaring at her. A cruel smile crossed her lips. "Of course! The name that keeps you fighting!" she declared, her smile growing. "My life for 14 hours of yours," she told him before taking her hand away. "What do you say?"

"Even you can't do it," he replied, before frowning slightly. "And isn't it meant to be 24?"

Lilith smiled, knowing she had him. "Till the clock strikes midnight, dear Doctor. It will take some time to send you across the void," she added.

His eyes widened slightly as he gazed deeply into hers, trying to find even the slightest hint of a lie, but none was there. She was telling him the truth; he could have one more day with her.

"She won't know it's you," Lilith added, as though reading his mind, which the Doctor realised she probably was. "Not so much probably as actually," she told him with a smile. "A lot easier than before...you must really lo—-"

"Don't," the Doctor cut her off, not wanting to hear the words he couldn't speak aloud said by the Carrionite.

She smiled coyly back. "As you wish...do you wish to see her again?" she asked him slowly, her voice sounding sweet though he could feel the venom beneath. She continued, pausing between each word so none could be missed, so that each would hit home before the next was spoken - "Do we have a deal?"

"Doctor you can't! If you let her live---" Martha began, but her argument was lost as the Doctor replied.

"Yes." And with that, they both disappeared from Martha's sight.


	2. 10:00

**Hey guys, thanks SO much for your lovely reviews, means the world to me :) Ooh, before I forget, a HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY (see, HUGE!!) to the FANTASTIC rosie becs!! Hope you had a brilliant day!! Anyway, enough from me, off to see our favourite pair's first encounter...**

The Doctor coughed, choking for air.

"_Easy now Doctor, wouldn't want you dying before you've even seen her again," a voice spoke near him. He knew it was Lilith, could feel a tie between them, but whether she was there physically or not he wasn't sure._

His wonderings were forgotten as he spotted a familiar face across the street from where he stood though. He was about to follow her when she walked into a building. Crossing the road he looked at the small plaque on the wall. "Wolfram & Hart – Attorneys at Law," he read allowed. "Hmm, sounds a bit like that old demon sect...Wolf, Ram and Heart," he mused before chuckling softly. "Na, they were a bunch of pansies, doubt they survived the Old Ones," he continued before pausing, "Did I mention my teeth feel different?" he asked, before pausing again, "I think I'm a little too used to having a companion beside me," he told no one in particular.

"_And if you keep talking to yourself you might spend your time here in an asylum," Lilith told him, somewhat annoyed she was trapped within him now, it would have been useful to discuss business with the law firm. At least he wasn't aware of her intrusion into his mind though, it would be far more difficult if he was._

The Doctor tapped his foot impatiently. He was never a fan of staying still, and doing so while the figurative sands were spilling through the 14-hour glass was worse than he could imagine. "Finally!" he breathed as he saw her walk out the office. "Rose!" he called out, beaming as she turned around to face him, his smile faltering slightly as she stared blankly at him. Her hair was shorter than he remembered, no longer dyed with a dash of regrowth, but a more natural, darker blonde. There was also a scar that ran across her left (right side as he was looking at her) eyebrow that looked to be a year old and a bandage covering the nape of neck.

Rose stared at the stranger, raising a brow as he continued to stare at her, saying nothing. "If you're done staring, I've got things to do," she told him before turning to go.

He grabbed her shoulder, spinning her back round to face him. "No! Sorry...it's me---"

"_She won't know it's you," Lilith repeated, and it was then the Doctor realised it wasn't because she wouldn't recognise him, but as a condition of the journey._

"John Smith," he ended, hating not being able to tell her the truth.

Rose eyed him, glaring softly. "I've only known one John Smith, and you're not him," she replied coldly before turning and walking away.

The Doctor took a step back at the coldness in her voice, wondering what had happened to the warmth she had always exuded. Deciding there was only one way to find out, he followed her. "Sorry, but is there anything I can do to help?" he asked as he fell into step beside her, having to make an effort not to take her hand in his as he did.

"What makes you think I need help?" she asked, not bothering to look at him as she stared in front of her to the waiting ocean, grateful that her trip to the law firm had taken her away from the city and within walking distance of the beach she needed.

The Doctor frowned down at her. "Well you just seem upset. Has something happened today?" he asked, hoping she would talk to him about whatever it was that was bothering her.

"Just another day in the paradise that is Pete's World," she replied with a sarcastic laugh.

"Pete's World?" he asked, wondering if his naming had caught on.

She glanced over at his excited expression, frowning slightly. "Sorry, personal joke," she replied. She sighed, looking at the stranger once more. He was cute and seemed so familiar, but whenever she tried to remember where from, it was as though there were white noise in her mind. Meeting his gaze she found herself falling. Something about his eyes begged her to trust him, letting her know everything would be okay if she just told him the truth. But she knew better than to trust anyone with her heart, because you just lost it in the end. "Look it's been...good seeing you again John, but I've gotta run," she told him firmly, though not unkindly.

"Right, busy life," he said softly, trying not to show how much his hearts were breaking.

Rose shrugged softly, wishing she'd run into him on any other day than this. Shaking the thought, she smiled. "Bye," she said softly, before turning and jogging away.

The Doctor stared after her, torn between giving her her space and his desire to follow her.

"_You get 14 hours and you're going to give up after 28 minutes waiting and 7 of crap?" Lilith asked, disgusted._

He wished he knew where she was so he could focus his glare on her, but instead ignored the comment as he jogged after Rose, keeping a slight distance between them. He couldn't help but feel slightly insulted as he watched her walk down onto the beach. She'd turned down what could be the last time they'd ever see each other to take a walk on the beach?

"_She doesn't know who you are remember?" Lilith reminded him, starting to wonder if the Time Lord was indeed as intelligent as she'd been led to believe for all these years._

"I don't know if that makes it better, or worse that she rebuffed a stranger," he murmured, watching as she took of her shoes, rolled her trousers up slightly and went to the waters edge, kicking the small waves, following them as they receded out. If he had been a stranger, he would have thought her playful, but knowing her as well as he did, he could see the movements were forced, that something was wrong.

As he watched her, he realised the waves were continuing to recede further. Was she so deep in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed? "Rose!" he yelled, but knew she was too far away to hear him over the wind that was picking up. Racing down the sand to her, he could see the crest already building in the distance. How much time did they have? Seconds? Minutes if they were lucky. It felt like forever before he finally reached her, the crest already making it's way back towards them, growing in size with ever passing second. He grabbed her hand, watching her as she looked up at him in surprise. "Run!" he yelled at her before turning and running toward the ramp he'd just run down.

He wasn't sure if it was because she was in shock or just not as fit as she once was, but he found he was almost dragging her along behind him. Racing up the ramp, he didn't stop until he was across the road. Turning around he watched, as did she, as the tidal wave crashed on the rocks made to protect the town from this very event. He shuddered as he imagined Rose amongst that wave, how slim her chances of survival would have been. The wave dissipated as quickly as it had been created, and gentler waves lapped at the tossed sand once more.

A huge grin spread across his face as he looked down at her, knowing she was safe. It melted at the glare she was giving him, a moment before her hand connected with his cheek in a resounding slap.


	3. 10:48

**Yup, I know, Rose's final reaction wasn't what anyone expected, but a lots changed since the Doctor last saw her! But how much of that is she going to tell a stranger? Thanks to everyone who reviewed, means the world! And here's the next one for ya :)**

"Jackie's taught you well," he mumbled, before straightening to face her once again, still rubbing his cheek. "What was that for?"

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" she yelled at him.

His frown deepened. "Sorry, did I miss something? I thought I just saved your life!"

"And what gave you the right to do that?" she spat back.

"Excuse me?" he asked, completely confused now. He'd always known she was jeopardy-friendly, but since when had she had a death wish?

She glared at him. "What gives you the right to decide who lives and dies?" she asked venomously.

"What gives you the right to decide your time's up?" he asked back, truly worried about the woman that meant so much to him.

"None of your damned business," she replied before storming off.

He stood stunned for a a few moments before following her.

"_You really can't take a hint can you?" Lilith asked. "No wonder you've got such a tortured soul, you live on the stuff!"_

The Doctor ignored her as he watched Rose walk around a black SUV to the driver's side. "Could I get a lift?" he asked.

She glared over at him, crossing his arms. "What exactly about our conversation before gives you the idea I want to offer you a ride?" she asked him, raising a brow.

"Well...you didn't say you never wanna see me again...that's always a plus really. And we're probably going in the same direction right? London?" he asked coaxingly, thankful that his boyish charms could still win her round.

She glared slightly, trying her best to keep her grin at bay. This man had just ruined what was meant to be a simple plan, and she was forgiving him just because he was being goofy? "London's a big city, we could be going to opposite ends," she told him, as she opened her door.

He quickly hopped in before she could give him a definite no. "I'm heading towards Canary Wharf, how bout you?" he asked, grinning maniacally.

She glared slightly at him. "Same...but just because I'm giving you a lift doesn't mean I'm going to be nice to you! You say one word and you're out on your arse!" she told him sternly as she pulled into traffic.

The Doctor mimed zipping his mouth shut, not an easy feat when your cheeks were aching from restraining the grin you were holding down! But it seemed silence was easier mimed than done during the hour long journey. He was bubbling with things he wanted to say, questions he wanted ask, just dying to tell her how much he had missed her.

_It was driving Lilith insane! How could someone so old and tortured also be so childish and innocent? He was worse than a child the night before Christmas! His constant whirlwind of thoughts was made ever more infuriating by the pent up energy that he was only just holding in, both his fingers and toes continually fidgetting._

For her part, Rose found it rather amusing. John seemed itching to want to say something, but true to his gesture he hadn't let out a peep since they'd started the journey and they were almost at Canary Wharf now! He'd started lightly bouncing in his seat and she got the distinct impression he was a guy that wasn't used to not speaking for very long. She'd even be willing to bet that he normally babbled on for ages given half the chance. "So what brings you to Canary Wharf?" she asked. She watched him as he mimed something to do with his nose. "Okay you can talk now," she told him, giggling as she tried to work out what his answer had been.

She could only guess that his next set of gestures were accusing her of trying to trick him so she could throw him out on his arse, and she began to wonder if he was an actor or comedian or something because he was rather entertaining.

"Look I'm not trying to trick you, we're almost there anyway," she told him, pulling into the parking lot. "See?" she declared as she pulled into her normal parking space. It wasn't within the Torchwood's underground section, but that's the way she preferred it.

He gave her a huge grin, before doing a rather large impression of unzipping his lips before answering. "Got a bit of a nose for trouble," he told her as they climbed out, heading out the car park towards the main entrance of the building. "Used to be bigger, my nose. Could smell trouble a mile away," he told her. He couldn't begin to express the amount of joy her mood change caused him. From as low as you could probably go, to small laughs and smiles, he was positively jumping for joy. Which in a way he was with the skip in his stride. "Big ears too. Great for listening if anyone ever needed to chat or anything," he added, hoping he wasn't pushing too hard.

Rose stopped walking as she turned to face him warily. After a moment she looked at his nose then leaned one way then the other as she checked both ears. "Well the don't seem big anymore," she told him almost diagnostically. "Big hair though," she told him, a smile pulling at her lips as he ran a hand through it. "Bit flat though, need to ruffle it up a bit," she advised.

He smiled back. "Oh I've had it up all teddy-boy style. Slicked back and everything," said trying to move his hair to demonstrate before it all flopped back down again, causing her to giggle.

"Na, you just need slightly ruffled, so you can run your hands through it a million times a day and it'd still look...well...ruffled," she ended, shrugging. "Too much gel and people might accuse you of being girly," she added, trying to detract from what was starting to turn into flirting.

"I'm not girly!" he protested. "I'm big and manly with chest hair and big manly hairy hands, see!" he asked, thrusting her hands up for her to see, wiggling his fingers as he did so. "Ooh, got big hands too!" he added, remembering their previous topic of big noses, ears and hair. "Good for holding."

Rose eyed him as she forced herself not to take the hand he was offering her. It took a few moments before she finally replied. "As fun as talking about which parts of your...anatomy are big John, I best be getting back to work," she told him, tilting her head to the doors behind them.

She'd said it with a finality that he knew there was no point trying to convince her otherwise, but there was a cheeky grin she was clearly forcing her mouth not to form and he couldn't help but wonder why.

"Right, busy life," he repeated his earlier words, though found it a lot easier to let her go off this time than he had the last.

"Might see you round," she replied, finding it a lot harder to leave than last time. She forced herself to walk away, giving a small wave. A few hours ago she felt like he was a complete stranger. It wasn't exactly as though much had changed since then, so why did she suddenly feel like she was saying goodbye to her best friend? She turned away to walk into the building, only looking back once she was through security, and she couldn't help but laugh. He was standing there with a huge grin on his face waving goodbye. If she didn't know better she would swear he wasn't from this world!

**See, just add a bit of the Doctor to your life and happiness is sure to follow...as though we didn't all already know that ;) Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, and please review, that button needs an ego boost of being clicked ;)**


	4. 14:03

**Hey guys...lol soz but it's the third time today I'd be typing 'Hey guys, thanks for the reviews'...but I've meant it every time! You guys are all lovely! Been making my week I tell ya! Okay first off, cos I can't just send a normal reply, astrum-faith – close, but no cigar on the spell just yet ;) Rose hasn't been made to forget anything, just she can't recognise the Doc at all...and cos I just realised she should know better cos of regenerations, there's a dash of 'he can't be the Doc' in there somewhere ta boot :p**

**Anyway, I kinda like this chapter for Mickey. For those that are reading Speak Now as well, this'll tie in a little, and'll also give you an idea of where it goes too ;) Anyway, enjoy!**

_Lilith was bored silly. After a farewell that had nearly made her gag, she had now been forced to sit on a bench not too far away from the building Rose had gone into. Sitting on a bench was fine and well most of the time, but when you were forced to sit there for two hours listening to the thoughts of a love sick Time Lord it became a unique form of torture. "Why don't we just go in there again?" she asked for what felt like the millionth time._

The Doctor sighed. "I've already told you," he thought, having worked out he didn't have to speak aloud for her to hear him.

"_Right, big scary alien capturing organisation that you're terrified will catch you," she replied sulkily._

He growled softly. "No, who I know will either send me on my way or will catch me. If they send me on my way then we'll be right back here again, and I don't exactly want my last conversation with Rose to be in a holding cell...and that's if they let me speak to her!"

"_Because stalking her is __**so**__ much more attractive," Lilith sneered._

"I wouldn't expect you to understand in the least," he replied distractedly as another familiar face caught his eye. "Mickey the idiot," he murmured with a cheeky grin, which turned to a look of puzzlement. "And Martha?" He watched as they headed toward a nearby cafe, torn between keeping a lookout for Rose and the chance of gleaning some information about what was going on in her life from the pair.

His smile returned as they came back out the cafe to sit at an outside table. In a very spy like fashion, he headed over to another bench which was only a few metres away from where they sat but still in view of the building entrance, and unashamedly began to eavesdrop.

"You sure you're alright?" Mickey was asking Martha, causing the Doctor to quickly glance over at her, but there were no obvious injuries that he could see.

Martha gave an exasperated sigh. "I've told you already, yes, I'm fine!"

"Sorry," Mickey said softly, but he didn't really look it. "You're handling this better than most," he said after a pause.

She gave a soft laugh. "You make it sound like this happens to you everyday!"

"Well...not everyday," he replied, shrugging as he gave her a charming smile.

Martha raised a brow, clearly not believing him. They drank their coffee in silence for a while, amusing the Doctor as they each cast furtive glances at the other, though their gazes never actually met. "So...is your girlfriend always so bitchy? she finally asked.

Mickey gave a soft laugh. "I wish...she's not my girlfriend."

The Doctor let out a breath he hadn't even realised he was holding at his answer, knowing there was only one person they could be referring to. He knew he didn't want her to be alone, but at the same time he'd rather her with him than anyone else.

"And she's not always like that either," Mickey added quickly, realising what he'd inadvertently admitted to, though Martha didn't seem to have picked up on it. "You just caught her on a bad day."

Martha let out a disbelieving snort. "She didn't seem any nicer today," she retorted.

Mickey sighed. "Look...it's hard to explain...she...lost...everything a while back...well everything that made her smile anyway...and since then...she's just trying to recover as best she can," he told her.

"So let me guess, when you say 'everything' you actually mean a particular person right? God what's with so many women not being able to get over a guy? It's like my friend Vicki---"

"It's not just about getting over a guy," Mickey cut her off. The Doctor could tell even though he wasn't happy about her not getting over the guy, something the Doctor was trying very hard not to feel chuffed about, Mickey was more concerned that Rose wasn't coming off sounding very good by the way Martha was viewing what he'd said. The Doctor couldn't help but wonder what his Martha thought of him then. It wasn't like he brought up Rose often, barely at all, but he got the impression that something was amiss with her when he did, even after he recovered himself and went on with other things.

Mickey raked a hand over his hair, trying to think of a better way of describing it. "Okay, imagine there was this guy you were absolutely in love with," he began, the sadness the thought caused him obvious to the Doctor, "and you lived this unbelievably amazing life with him, one you couldn't experience with anyone else. And then one day it was torn from you---"

"Like he died?" Martha asked quietly.

"Worse. He lived but it was physically impossible for you to ever see each other ever again---"

"So he broke up with her?" Martha cut him off again with an 'I knew it' expression.

"No," Mickey replied, trying not to get annoyed. It wasn't like he liked talking about this any more than Rose did, though he could handle doing so a little more than she could. "You're still in love with each other, you just can't---"

"How can it be physically impossible then?" she asked, getting annoyed herself as he continued to not make sense.

Mickey sighed. "You're a trainee Doctor aren't ya?" he asked instead of answering her question.

"Yeah, what's that got to do with it?"

"Means you should be smarter than you're coming across at the moment," he replied.

"Oooh!" the Doctor thought, physically preparing himself as though it were him awaiting the slap instead of Mickey. He'd known Mickey had outgrown his cowardice years ago, but this was something else! Courage verging on insanity!

The slap didn't come though. She just crossed her arms and glared at him. "Fine, it's physically impossible. Why not just build a bridge and get over it then?" she asked icily.

Mickey tried not to smile at his small victory. "Cause she works in a job that reminds her of him every single day."

"Then why not quit the job?" Martha asked, wondering how he could accuse her of not coming across as smart!

"Cause if she quits, thousands if not millions of peoples lives are at risk."

Martha rolled her eyes. "You make it sound like her job is to go around saving the world!"

"Pretty much, yeah," he smiled. He could see she was about to come up with another argument, so quickly added, "Can you think of anyone who could have gotten us through yesterday? 'cause I know a lot of people experienced in that sort of thing and I can't."

"Yeah but she nearly got herself killed in the process...she DID---"

"To save thousands of people," Mickey cut her off, not wanting to think of that part of events again, it had already haunted him all night.

The Doctor felt his own hearts constrict at the thought that she'd almost died the day before as well. He remembered a time when he'd had a death wish, not caring for his own life at all as he saved one world after another, until one very fateful night in the basement of some department store of all places, he met the woman who would change his life...his **lives** forever.

"_Why do you sit here listening to this?" Lilith asked, feeling even more uncomfortable inside his mind than before._

"Because he's talking about Rose," he thought simply.

"So is there like an alien attack every day or something?" Martha asked instead of other comments she wanted to make.

Mickey smiled. "Not everyday no...not even most days really, but we're kept busy."

"_Yes but what they're saying makes your pain stronger," she replied, very much wishing to be back on the other bench, despite how boring it had been earlier._

The Doctor shrugged. "I'll survive."

"With what?" Martha asked, unable to hide her excitement.

Mickey chuckled softly. "Sorry, it's classified."

"_You'll survive? You'd tear your own heart to pieces just to find out such small pieces about her life now?"_

"Yes."

Martha couldn't help snorting. "Like you could tell me, but then you'd have to kill me?" she asked sarcastically.

"Pretty much," he replied with a charming grin, clearly loving the fact.

"_But WHY?" Lilith demanded._

Rather than answering in words, the Doctor closed his eyes and pictured Rose as he knew her, smiling with all her heart and soul shining from her beautiful eyes. He allowed his hearts to soar with the emotions he felt for her. The joy, the happiness, the wholeness, the lo...

"You're so full of yourself!" Martha laughed. As Mickey continued to just look at her, her laughter died away though. "You can't be serious!" He just kept staring. "Stop looking at me like that!" He just smiled.

"Mickey!"

The Doctor's eyes shot open, blinking away the tears before he found the man who had called out to Mickey.

Jake stood near the entrance, car keys in hand. "We gotta go!" he yelled, tilting his head towards the car park.

Mickey looked apologetically at Martha. "Sorry babe, I gotta go...but...call me sometime," he told her, quickly scribbling his number on a bit of paper.

Martha couldn't help beaming up at him. "Isn't that information classified?" she asked teasingly as she glanced down at the paper still lying on the table.

He just beamed back at her. "Na, even James Bond was allowed to go on a date with a beautiful woman," he told her winking before dashing off.

The Doctor found it very difficult not to groan at the cheesiness, despite Martha giggling and, if he wasn't mistaken, even blushing!

**So what'd you guys think? Yeah I know there was no Rose, and worse, there was Martha...but she wasn't really that bad this time around (believe me, this Martha I don't like...and I mean really don't like...like even less than the normal Martha! Which is saying something! Especially for those that are reading Speak Now and know I'm bringing show Martha and this Martha together! And by doing so ended up LIKING show Martha by comparison!...anyway, enough about Martha!) Anyway, hope you enjoyed it.**


	5. 17:42

_**Oooh, almost forgot this one!! Anyways, thanks SOOO much for all your reviews, you guys are better than...well I would say a Doctor, but whom I kidding? You're better than a sonic screwdriver, how bout that? ;) Glad to hear you're all enjoying it. Enjoy!**_

"_Explain it to me again," Lilith pleaded as they sat staring at the building entrance once more._

The Doctor frowned, not that he was even sure she could see him. "Why?"

"_Because..." she trailed off, unable to voice her reason. Instead, she decided to put her request a completely different way. "You had to wait outside that law firm for half an hour just to be rebuffed, but you followed her. She tried killing herself and you saved her, but she slapped you, and __**still**__ you followed her. You sat in silence for an __**hour**__ just bursting with everything you wanted to tell her, and yet you did as she told you and kept quiet. We sat in this very spot for nearly two hours before that boy came out and you followed __**him**__...but only because you could still watch out for her. You let your heart break more listening to him, but you still listened because you said he was talking about __**her**__," she paused momentarily, having just realised she could no longer say __**her**__ name. She shook it off, quickly continuing, "And now we're sitting on the old bench again, watching the same building entrance for over three hours now! Why?!"_

He leaned back, trying to get more comfortable, a task not easily achieved on a wooden bench you've been sitting on for pretty much for the last five hours. "Do you really want to know or are you just hoping to speed up time?" he asked.

_Not willing to give too much away, she replied, "Does it matter?"_

The Doctor pondered it for a moment before replying, "In the grander scheme of things, yes...but for the present...not really. The simple answer is to see her again."

"_That can't be the whole reason. You've already seen her again," she reasoned, desperate to understand._

He chuckled slightly. "Okay, to see as much of her as I can then," he replied.

"_So you're just going to sit here until she comes out?"_

"Yup," he answered, impressed that the p was popped even when he thought the word.

"_What if she doesn't come out for another three hours?"_

He shrugged. "Then I sit here waiting for another three hours."

"_What if it's another five hours?"_

The Doctor sighed. "Then I'd wait five hours."

"_What if--"_

"I don't think you get it," he cut her off. "Even if it's another six and a bit hours before she walks out that door just before it strikes midnight, I'd wait another six and a bit hours to watch her walking out that door just before I left."

_Lilith frowned. "You'd wait all that time...just for a glance of her?"_

"Mmhmm."

"_Why?"_

"I don't expect you to understand," he replied.

_They sat in silence for a few minutes before she asked, "Why can't you say how you feel?"_

It was his turn to frown. "What do you mean?"

"_Earlier when I asked why you would let yourself listen to that boy when it was tearing your hearts apart, you showed your feelings, but didn't voice them. Now you're pretending that I won't understand to avoid saying them. Why can't you just say it?"_

"Because it's too hard," he choked out, annoyed at her despite being upset, not knowing how she was dragging this out of him.

_She gave a bitter laugh. "Hard? I thought it was meant to be the most fantastic feeling in all the world. It's meant to be all you need. It's meant to lift you up where you belong, where eagles fly and--"_

"And make you quote song lyrics?" he asked chuckling.

_Lilith blushed. "So it's not all those things?"_

The Doctor sobered. "No, it's not." He paused, trying to decide how to word it, then decided just to say what he was thinking. "It's all those things and a million times more. It's knowing that no matter how badly things are going, there's still some good in the world. Knowing that despite everything you've done, there's still someone who cares about you in spite of it all. It's knowing you're never completely alone because they're always in your hearts...or heart depending," he sighed, not able to continue.

"_You feel all that and you can't even say the word that all that means?"_

He gave a rueful laugh. "Pretty much."

"_Why?"_

"Do you ever stop asking questions?" he asked.

"_Do you ever answer a question?" she asked in turn._

"Yes," he replied with a smile.

_She rolled her eyes. "Why?" she asked again._

"Imagine feeling all that and knowing you couldn't hold onto it. That in just over six hours you would never see the person again."

_Lilith swallowed hard. "Oh," she mumbled, not sure what else to say. After a few minutes she asked. "So what do you do then?"_

"Wait till she comes out," he replied, his gaze focusing on the door once more.

_Lilith stared at it as well. A few more minutes passed before she asked, "How long do you think she'll be?"_

"How long is a piece of string?" he asked in turn.

"_Double the length of it's middle to one end," she replied._

The Doctor chuckled.

"_What?" she demanded, glaring._

"That was meant to be a rhetorical question," he told her, still smiling.

"_Oh...well then you should have asked how many stars are there in the sky or something," she grumbled._

He chuckled again. "But I already know the answer to that," he replied.

**There you go, another chappie done. Yeah I know, another week without Rose, but figured this would be a good spot to see what Lilith thinks about all this lovey dovey stuff...anyway, hope you liked it :) Oh and that answer to the string question, apparently it's the official correct answer when asked during military tests...not that I've done any (well save Navy reserve stuff...) but so I've been told. 'nother random fact from me to you ;)**


	6. 19:37

**Hey guys, it's me again. Well it's what we've been waiting for...again...Rose is back ;) Enjoy :)**

**...oh and Kath! Hope you're feeling HEAPS better!! And don't worry bout delay in reviews, I'm really bad at keeping up to date, just ask Becks! She'll vouch for me on that one!...though that's not necessarily a good thing...**

Rose was unaware of the reactions her leaving work received, neither the three hearts that started racing at the sight of her nor the little squeal of joy Lilith inadvertently let out. What she did notice was a familiar man stretching as he got up from a nearby bench. Despite the waning light, she glared at him, positive she knew who it was as she walked towards him. "Mr Smith, I could have you arrested for stalking," she said by way of greeting.

"Well yeah, you could, course you could...but I think you'd have a hard time proving it," he replied, beaming down at her.

She raised a brow. "So you admit you're stalking me?" she asked.

"Course not! Considering you've just told me you plan on having me arrested for it, it would just be silly to admit it now wouldn't it?" he asked, still unable to stop smiling.

She went back to glaring, though it was lost by her inability to stop her own grin. "What is it about you...some childish innocence or something..." she mused aloud, trying to find out what was stopping her calling the police on him.

"Oy! Manly man over here remember?" he asked, pretending to be offended, still not working with the smile though. His poor cheeks were hating him for it, but he just couldn't help himself.

"You haven't been sitting here all day have you?" she asked.

"No, course not...I spent part of the day in your car and part of it on that bench there and--"

"A simple yes would've done fine," she cut him off

"Oh there's nothing simple about me," he replied grinning.

She eyed him for a moment. "You going to continue stalking me through the night?" she asked.

"I prefer to call it following myself...but I won't if you don't want me to," he added quickly, suddenly looking worried.

She bit her lip, worrying it slightly as she thought about her response. "How long do you intend on following me then?" she asked.

"Oh, four hours tops, then you'll never ever see me again."

She gave a small, sad smile. "Never say never ever," she murmured before starting to walk down the road, not complaining as he fell into step beside her. They walked a couple of blocks in silence before she asked, "So why're you stalking me then?" She was slightly surprised to find she found the topic amusing rather than worrying.

"You make it sound like I do this all the time!" he retorted, now worrying that she might in fact think he was some crazy person and be leading him to the police.

She glanced at him with an evil smile. "You saying you don't?"

"I'm not just saying I don't, I'm emphatically saying I don't. There's as much chance of me being a stalker as there is of me being an alien in a human body suit, which you've also thought of me quite unjustifiably I might add," he responded pouting.

"Excuse me?" she asked, stopping so she could face him as she gave him a quizzical gaze.

He sighed, deciding backtracking would be pointless, instead going for misdirection. "I'm just saying you have a preference for S-words when name calling," he replied, giving her a small smile before continuing walking.

"I do not!" she protested as she fell into step with him. _Slut; snake; Slitheen; shrimp; scurvy, old, filthy, scurry lord; stupid ape, stalker._

The Doctor grinned. "How many did you think of?"

She glared back. "Six, not including stalker," she grumbled, not meeting his gaze.

He couldn't help but chuckle. "So six or seven. Oh you do like those s's," he declared, delighted that they'd moved off the topic of him being a stalker. "Bet you like that band, you know, the Scissor Siblings," he added cheerfully.

"You mean the Scissor Sisters," she corrected him, rolling her eyes.

"Well, them too," the Doctor replied. "So why're we slowing down?"

She nodded towards the somewhat rundown cinema they were nearing. "That's my stop. Doesn't show the most recent films, but it's nice to see the ones other cinemas think are dead and gone sometimes."

"Do you have a date?" he asked before thinking.

She smiled over at him. "What if I did?"

The Doctor just stared at her, unable to speak.

She chuckled, "You men are all alike. No, I don't have a date."

He let out the breath he hadn't even been aware he was holding as he smiled once more. "How bout we go for scissors paper stone to see if I should join you?" he asked cheekily.

"You mean rock paper scissors?"

"Scissors paper stone, rock paper scissors, same thing," he replied putting his hand up, grinning when she did the same.

"One, two, three," they counted in unison.

"Oh," the Doctor sighed, disappointed.

"Paper beats rock," Rose declared, wrapping her open fist around his closed one. "Mind you, it was a good attempt at planting the suggestion, introducing scissors into the conversation a few minutes ago. But I was taught by the best," she added.

The Doctor nodded, trying to hide how upset it was making him. "Well worth a shot...I'll let you get back to your busy life," he replied.

Rose rolled her eyes, wondering if he was completely blind to her flirtations or just pretending. "Better with two," she told him, smiling as her words sunk in, then he looked down at their still joined hands and gave her that huge grin she just couldn't seem to get enough of. "Come on then," she told him, dragging him into the cinema after her. "Sorry but you've got no say in the movie though."

"Not even a little?" he asked, having recovered both his voice and his ability to not smile maniacally.

She shook her head. "Not even a tiny bit," she told him.

"Oh alright then, what we watching?" he asked.

"Atonement," she replied definitively. "And before you even ask, yes it is a chick flick, so if you don't like it--"

"I think I can survive a chick flick," he replied, trying to remember what exactly that meant. He remembered her using the term when picking movies to watch on the Tardis, though if he recalled it was a toss of coin whether she was all giggly and girly or weeping by the end. Remembering this much, he wasn't about to complain as both worked for him. If she was girly she let him act gentlemanly and it felt like they were more than just the best of friends. And even though he hated to see her cry, at least it was just over works of fiction, and she'd allow him to draw her into a hug and hold her until it passed.

"What are you smiling about now?" she asked, raising a brow at him.

He quickly shook his head, "Nothing." As they made their way to the counter, the Doctor suddenly frowned, tapping all his pockets. "Umm...actually..." he trailed off, hating that he was going to have to cancel on her.

Rose eyed him, raising one brown as she gave him a stern look. "Don't tell me after all that stalking you forgot your wallet?" she asked, hiding her amusement.

"Umm...something like that, yeah. Look I'm really sorry, but I guess--"

"What sort of date are you?" she cut him off as though he hadn't spoken before turning back to the counter. "Two to Atonement please."

**Now there you go. She might not be able to work out it's the Doctor, but at least she's not questioning the inexplicable attraction she has to him...well not enough to stop her flirting and taking him on a date ;) Hope you liked it :)**


	7. 22:10

**Ooh, getting into my favourite parts now. Hope you enjoy ;)**

"_...were never able to have the time together they both so longed for... and deserved."_

The words washed over the Doctor as he couldn't help but look at Rose. He hadn't realised how fitting the movie would be to their situation.

She had both her feet up on the chair in front of her in an attempt to curl into a ball, something the small seats didn't quite accommodate. Tears were running down her cheeks and she was biting her thumb nail. If it weren't for their location and her more formal attire, it was almost like being back on the Tardis!

She gave a soft sniffle as the credits rolled, and he just couldn't help himself. "Come here," he murmured, pulling her into a hug. It was only later that he realised since for all intents and purposes he was a complete stranger to her, she might have taken the offer rather badly. Thankfully this didn't occur to him, or Rose, at the time, as she wrapped her arms around his waist and let him hug for till the lights came back on and her tears had dried.

"Sorry, I'm not normally like that," she said softly as they walked down the street again.

He shook his head, "Nothing to be sorry for," he told her gently, giving her a warm smile.

She smiled back, before frowning. "Why do I feel like I know you so well?" she asked.

"Because you do. You know me better than anyone else in...well anywhere," he finished, giving her a soft grin.

Her frown turned to a look of puzzlement. "But I don't. All I know is your name, and even that I'm not sure is true," she replied.

"Oh what's in a name. A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet," he replied, giving her a cheeky grin now.

She rolled her eyes. "So if I know you that well, how well do you know me?"

He grinned. "I would say I know you better than you know yourself...but every day you surprise me," he murmured.

Rose thought about this for a moment, not sure if she liked the compliment or feared for her memory. "What's my mum's name?" she asked instead.

"Jacqueline Andrea Suzette Tyler, previously Prentiss," he replied, grinning at the idea of a test.

Rose giggled. "I would've given it to you for just Jackie," she replied, before asking, "And my dad?"

"Peter Alan Tyler...or just Pete," he added, giving her a cheeky grin once more.

"My favourite colour?"

"Well, you like everyone to think it's pink though you think it's blue...but really, you pick more pink than blue so..." he trailed off.

She glared at him. "You trying to say you think my favourite colour is pink?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Course not, I think it's brown," he replied, with a nod.

"Brown?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yup," he replied, popping the p.

"Riiight," she replied, laughing. "Diamonds or pearls?"

The Doctor pondered this one for a moment, wondering how much to say. "If anyone asked you'd say diamonds, what with them being girls' best friends and all...except Mickey. If he asked you'd say pearls 'cause you know he couldn't afford diamonds."

"And what if you asked?" she asked, stopping walking so she could face him.

He grinned. "Oh I wouldn't ask," he replied.

"Why not?" she asked frowning now.

His grin broadened. "'cause I already know it's neither. Nope, you prefer Rose Quartz because the first time you came across it Jackie told you it was named after you and you believed her. By the time you found out this might not be true it was too late, they were already your favourites."

"What do you mean 'this might not be true'?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Don't miss a thing do you? That's what I miss about you," he replied, before quickly catching himself. "Well, just between you and me, your mum might have thought she was lying, but she got it right. The first Rose Quartz crystals that were found were dismissed as fakes by mineralogists around the world, so they didn't mind that this somewhat quirky traveller picked the name. Just because it happened before you were born doesn't mean it wasn't for you," he added in a hushed tone.

Rose just stared at him. There was only one man she knew that could do something like that for her, and she felt her heart ache as she wondered if John could be right, if maybe the Doctor had...she shook her head, who was she kidding, the Doctor didn't even know she liked Rose Quartz! Ever since she'd lost the necklace her mum had bought her, well she said lost, she was pretty sure Jimmy nicked off with it for Noosh, she hadn't mentioned it again. She shook her head of the thoughts as she noticed John leaning in slightly.

"And do you know what else I know about you Rose Tyler?" he asked in a whisper, beaming down at her.

Her heart caught in a throat for a moment as she stared into his eyes, so close to her own. That white noise seemed fainter as she stared into their brown depths, and she couldn't help but think he really did know her better than she knew herself – she really did love brown. Suddenly her heart was racing and her palms sweaty, and it took her a moment to realise he was waiting for her response. "Wh-wh," she swallowed deeply, "What?"

"You love chips," he grinned, as he pulled her into the store beside them, oblivious as always to the affect he had on her.

Rose couldn't help but laugh. "Chips," she murmured softly. "Yup, that's all I was thinking about, chips."

**Don't you just hate chips now? ;) Hope you enjoyed it though, feel free to press that review button, type some words and press the button at the bottom of that window ;)**


	8. 23:07

**Sorry, another fic that was partially forgotten while working on Doc's Daughters. Anyway, no dilly dallying, straight into it ;)**

"_I don't think I would have forgiven Briony," Lilith said gently causing the Doctor to choke on his chip._

"Bit too much pepper on that one," he told Rose at her bemused expression as he thought "Why not?" He'd completely forgotten about Lilith, she hadn't spoken a word since he'd joined up with Rose again, which was saying a lot for her considering she'd been forced to sit on another chair for two hours.

"_All that time lost. If I were either of them I wouldn't have forgiven her," she replied. She wasn't sure why she'd let the movie get to her so. Human affairs had always been amusing to her, how hard they trifled for just a few short lived moments._

The Doctor pondered this. He knew where he stood on it, but only because he'd put himself as the role of Robbie, and with it all the deeds of his own into the character.

"What did you think of the movie?" Rose asked, as though reading his mind.

He smiled, "Was just about to ask you the same thing!"

"Well you know what they say – fools never differ," she grinned.

He frowned. "I thought it was meant to be 'Great minds think alike'."

"Yeah well, when you've met the people I have you start to doubt you've got a great mind," she replied.

He gazed at her with all the pride in the universe. "It's not what or how much you know that gives you a great mind, Rose," he told her firmly, not surprised when she blushed. As far as he was concerned she was a thousand times more amazing than she gave herself credit for. No, a million times!

"You didn't answer my question," she said after a moment, not able to meet his gaze.

"Oh, it was good. Not what I expected, but good...would you have forgiven Robbie?" he asked suddenly.

"Robbie? Don't you mean Briony?"

"Well yeah, her too I guess, but...if you were Cecillia, would you have forgiven Robbie?" he asked again, desperate for her answer now.

She frowned at him. "There was nothing to forgive."

The Doctor shook his head. "But it was all his fault! If he hadn't written that note, if he'd just told her how he felt sooner, or held onto her tighter, or...or..." he didn't know what else to say, his eyes just pleading with her to forgive Robbie, to forgive **him**.

Rose swallowed the lump that formed at the look in his eyes. "I get the impression we're not talking about the movie anymore," she murmured.

He looked down, unable to meet her gaze, which was clarification enough for Rose.

She thought for a few minutes before answering. "He loved her and she loved him so there was nothing to forgive because everything he did was out of love. But if he thought he needed to be forgiven of anything, yeah, I would, in a second," she told him, giving him a reassuring smile when he finally lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"And Briony?" he asked softly, trying to break the moment, knowing leaving her this time would be a million times harder than the last.

Rose shrugged. "She was a child. Like she said, she did what she thought was best for the situation as she understood it, which she really didn't. So yeah, I'd forgive her too. It's that other girl I wouldn't be too sure of," she added, pulling up her nose and causing the Doctor to laugh despite himself.

"_You're right, she is full of surprises," Lilith murmured._

"Oh Rose," he suddenly gasped out. "There's so much I should have told you so much sooner!"

She looked slightly taken aback by this, but before she had a chance to question him, he went on.

"When I first met you I was so lost, I didn't even know how lost I was till I'd known you for a few weeks. But I was. And I was so jaded too. I went on doing what I always had, but only because I didn't know any other way of living, and I hated it. Hated everyone I came across, even the ones I was there to help. If I remember correctly I wasn't even particularly nice to you on our first meeting, and yet you were still lovely to me the next time we met...and the next. And by then I think I was hooked," he told her, taking a deep breath before continuing. "You've seen the best of me and you've seen the worst...and yet you stuck by me through it all. You're the only one who didn't choose to...to..." he trailed off, no longer able to speak.

"It's alright," she said gently, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it. "I'm really sorry, but I still don't remember you...but if I stuck by you then you can't possibly be as bad as you think," she added with a grin.

He chuckled softly, blinking back the tears as he looked back at her. "Have I told you recently how fantastic you are?" he asked, his grin fading as her smile faltered and she looked away. "Sorry did I say--"

"It's fine," she quickly cut him off. "Come on, this place is probably waiting for us to leave so they can close," she told him, getting up and heading for the door.

He followed her in silence, knowing she needed a bit of space. They kept walking for a long time before finally reaching a lookout point over the Thames. He looked down and could just make out the Eye and couldn't help but smile. "A huge circular metal structure. Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of London...and yet some people still miss it," he said softly.

Rose giggled softly. "Know what you mean. I knew this guy once, all the brains in the world, and it took him a few goes to spot it," she told him with a small smile. "Sorry," she quickly added, rubbing the tears from her cheeks.

"Nothing to be sorry for," he replied as he put his hands on her cheeks, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. He stood staring at her for a moment longer, just smiling, before turning away to lean against the railing once more.

"He was...the guy with all the brains...him and I travelled together for a while. You reminded me of him when you said fantastic. Was like his favourite word," she told him, giggling softly. "If you don't count allons-y or yup," she added.

"Oh I got to say that last Christmas," he told her excitedly, quite forgetting himself once more. "There was this...midshipman named Alonso!" he told her, completely beaming, "And I got to tell him 'Allons-y Alonso!'! It was fantast...Sorry," he quickly added, realising what he was doing.

Rose gave him a sad smile. "It's alright...you just...remind me so much of him sometimes. He was just...I don't know," she trailed off.

"So you and him were..." he said softly, wondering how she would describe them.

She quickly shook her head. "Oh no, nothing like that...not for wanting of course but...no. He was my best friend in the world though. Amazing and wonderful and...just completely irreplaceable."

He grinned softly. "Bet he felt the same way about you," he replied.

Rose smiled back, but shook her head once more. "Na, he...he's used to travelling. Been doing it for cent...decades," she quickly corrected herself. "I don't think he would've taken long finding another companion," she said softly.

"Wouldn't have been so quick if it hadn't been forced on him," he replied, thinking of how inappropriately timed Donna's arrival had been.

"What?" Rose asked in confusion.

He sighed. "Rose I don't doubt for a second that he thinks you're as irreplaceable as you think he is," he told her sincerely.

"_You've got to tell her Doctor," Lilith said desperately._

'She doesn't even know it's me,' he thought back.

Rose couldn't hold his gaze, looking back to the ground. She glanced at her watch. "Ten to midnight, oh mum is gonna kill me," she said, only half joking. "I should probably get going."

"_Tell her now!"_

"Rose, there's something I've got to tell you," he told her earnestly.

She looked at him slightly worried. "If it's that serious might be best for first thing in the morning don'tcha fink?" she asked jokingly.

He shook his head. "It'll be too late come morning," he said softly. "Look none of this is gonna make sense because you don't know who I am...but it's my last chance to say it...I mean I know I said that last time, but this time it really is, because I've made a deal with the devil to be hear," he said, trying to smile.

"_Oy!" Lilith yelled, not sure if she was complimented or offended. "Stop stalling! You're running out of time!" She could feel the minutes drifting away in a way she never had before, and she supposed it was because she was linked with a Time Lord._

"What I'm trying to say is...Rose Tyler," he gulped, completely prepared to vanish at that moment. Finding himself still there, his smiled hugely, his hearts soaring that he would finally get to say those three words. "I," he paused, suddenly realising the full impact of this moment, realising why it had been so difficult for her to say it, realising he'd never felt this way before, and may never again.

"_You've got to tell her!" Lilith screamed. "She's got to know!! Please Doctor, she has to know you love her!" she screamed, no longer wanting to hold the spell that kept them apart._

Rose stared at him, hanging on his silence as much as his words. The white noise was fading, and it was as though their were hundreds of veils between him and her that were slowly being lifted so that she might see him properly.

The Doctor swallowed, clearing his throat. "Rose Tyler, I...oh to hell with it," he finished, pulling her into his arms and kissing her with all the love he felt. It was a short and yet magical kiss, and as he pulled away, he felt completely on top of the world as he stared down at her, still in his arms. Her eyes were still closed and she looked like an angel. "I love you," he whispered, brushing a hair from her face.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and she stared back into those deep brown eyes once more. Only this time she recognised them, and for the life of her she couldn't understand why she hadn't recognised them sooner! "Doctor?" she breathed. The smile that she was rewarded with for just that one word sent tingles down her spine as she smiled back at him.

"Oh Rose! My beautiful Rose," he said, pulling her closer so he could hug her, letting his head drop to her shoulder. He wasn't sure why it hit him in that moment, but he suddenly realised he was crying. All the pain of losing her and being away from her all these long months, only to be reunited for a few short hours.

Rose was taken aback by his sudden change from glee to despair. She rubbed his back as she whispered sweet nothings in his ear. "It's alright my Doctor, we're together again," she said, pulling away just enough so she could face him grinning.

Only he wasn't grinning back. For the first time she could see all the love he felt for her in his eyes, but she could see all the sorrow at having lost her. No...at _having_ to lose her. _"Oh, four hours tops, then you'll never ever see me again."_ _"It'll be too late come morning."_ She stared at him, her own smile fading. "It was only for today?" she asked, almost begging him to tell her no.

He nodded softly, swallowing hard as he tried to stop his tears flowing.

She felt her own tears trickling down her face as she stared at him. "And we watched a stupid movie?!" she half yelled, slapping his arms. "I could have taken the day off!" she yelled, beating her fists against his chest.

"I was told you wouldn't know who I was. I didn't know what else to do," he told her as he pulled her to him, stopping her attack by pinning her arms between them. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he told her as he stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head.

"No, it's my fault. God, I knew there was something weird when I felt I could trust you despite...well everything," she replied, not wanting to bring up their morning encounters.

He pulled away just enough to meet her gaze, her few words having reminded him. "Rose, I don't know what caused you to get to that state, and I wish I had time to talk you through it, but I don't. But please, promise me you won't again. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing you're here, living your life. If I thought you were..." his voice broke, and he swallowed hard. "I don't think I could go on knowing that."

"I promise," she whispered softly. "As long as Martha doesn't drive me up the wall again," she added, trying to lighten the mood.

He chuckled. "And be nice to her! She's not so bad!"

She raised a brow at him. "And how would you know?" she asked.

He looked down slightly. "Well she saved my life in...the other...well my universe...and so I thought I'd give her one trip to thank her," he mumbled.

Rose couldn't help but laugh at his embarrassment. At least he wasn't alone, even if she didn't like her replacement. "So I take it that was probably a few trips ago and she's still with you?" she asked teasingly.

He couldn't help but return her beautiful smile. "Told me you know me better than anyone else," he grinned. "Ooh, before I forget!" he said, suddenly hunting through his pockets, finally pulling out a small brown bag and green velvet box. "I've had these in here for...oh since before I changed," he said, waving a hand before continuing. "This Jack and I...forcefully removed from Amsterdam," he said holding up the paper bag, "And this we politely acquired from Brazil. We meant to give them to you that Christmas but...well you know how it was," he said, finally passing them over. "Don't open them till I'm gone though, too embarrassing," he added.

Rose pocketed the items before pulling him into a huge once more. "How long do we have?" she asked softly.

"A couple of minutes," he murmured softly, holding her tightly to him. He tilted her head up and kissed her soundly, enjoying everything about her. Her taste, her smell, her feel, and the sounds she made. He slowly pulled away, kissing the tip of her nose before drawing her back under his chin. "I should have done that a long time ago," he whispered.

"Tell me about it!" she replied, causing them both to laugh.

Slowly, he let her go, knowing leaving with her in his arms would be harder than not. "I really meant everything I said today Rose. You really are irreplaceable...but being alone to think of what I've lost--"

"I know," she replied.

And he knew she did. She was the one person in the universe who might have an idea of how he really felt. "And I do love you," he said, grinning hugely once more.

"Quite right too," she replied, poking her tongue between her teeth despite the tears that were forming in her eyes once more.

"Oy! That's my line!" he told her sternly, trying to look angry but only managing bemused.

"_Hold on to her," Lilith pleaded, her voice barely making it out through her tears. "You can't lose her again!"_

She giggled softly, kissing him softly once more, somehow knowing their time was drawing to a close. "I love you too," she murmured.

"_No!" Lilith exclaimed, but the time was up and as the pair beamed one last time at each other, the Doctor disappeared._

**Know it ended sadly, but hope you enjoyed it anyway. Please review, means the world to me...**


End file.
